Open-source simply means that users have access to the source code of the software. You can look under the hood, see how it works, tinker with it, or use parts of it in your own product. This allows anyone to download and use Moodle for free, users can also write new features, fix bugs and improve its performance.
Moodle costs nothing to download and you can install it on as many servers as you want. No one can take it away from you or force you to upgrade, adopt features you don't want, tell you how many users you can have or pay for it. There is a dedicated community of developers who will keep the project going.
Educational Philosophy
Martin's background in education led him to adopt social constructionism as a core theory behind Moodle. Social constructionism is based on the idea that people learn best when they are engaged in a social process of constructing knowledge through sharing ideas and in the construction of knowledge.
Community
Moodle has a very large, active community of people who are using the system and developing new features and enhancements. You can access this community at http://www.moodle.org/ and enroll in the Using Moodle course. There you'll find people who are more than willing to help new users get up and running, troubleshoot, and effectively use Moodle.
The Moodle community has been indispensable to the success of the system. With so many global users, there is always someone who can answer a question or give advice.
Martin and his core team are responsible for deciding what features are mature enough for official releases and where to go next. Because users are free to experiment, many people use and test new features, acting as a large quality control department.
These three advantages - open source, social constructivism, and community - make Moodle unique.
Why Use Moodle?
Free and Open Source
Open-source simply means that users have access to the source code of the software. You can look under the hood, see how it works, tinker with it, or use parts of it in your own product. This allows anyone to download and use Moodle for free, users can also write new features, fix bugs and improve its performance.Moodle costs nothing to download and you can install it on as many servers as you want. No one can take it away from you or force you to upgrade, adopt features you don't want, tell you how many users you can have or pay for it. There is a dedicated community of developers who will keep the project going.
Educational Philosophy
Martin's background in education led him to adopt social constructionism as a core theory behind Moodle. Social constructionism is based on the idea that people learn best when they are engaged in a social process of constructing knowledge through sharing ideas and in the construction of knowledge.Community
Moodle has a very large, active community of people who are using the system and developing new features and enhancements. You can access this community at http://www.moodle.org/ and enroll in the Using Moodle course. There you'll find people who are more than willing to help new users get up and running, troubleshoot, and effectively use Moodle.The Moodle community has been indispensable to the success of the system. With so many global users, there is always someone who can answer a question or give advice.
Martin and his core team are responsible for deciding what features are mature enough for official releases and where to go next. Because users are free to experiment, many people use and test new features, acting as a large quality control department.
These three advantages - open source, social constructivism, and community - make Moodle unique.